wheel AUDI A8 2012 Workshop Manual

202 Trailer towing
• Start the engine.
• Se lect the D selector lever position.
• Re lease the park ing brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
• Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­ mat ic transm ission to P before applying
the park ing brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 203
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 189, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 203 .
•
•

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof . Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
I f you have installed additional accessor ies on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed .
When driving through an automatic car wash,
fi rst se lect the N position and then switch the
engine off. If you switch the engine off when N is engaged, the transmission remains in N
for approximately 30 m inutes and then Pis
engaged.
Further information for automatic gearboxes
~ page 109.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r:::;, page 203.
- Fo ld the exterior mirrors - flat there is a
risk of damaging the exterior mirrors .
Power folding exterior m irrors must not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Compare the track of your vehicle with
the d istance between the guide rails of
the facility - there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and tires . - Compa
re the height and width of your
vehicle with the height and width of the t u nnel at the facility .
· Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
.,. Before yo u start wash ing, make su re you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
r:::;, A in General information on page 203.
.,. First soak a ll dried dirt unt il it is soft , then
rinse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean brush .
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean eac h time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent di rt.
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly w ith water.
.,. Use a chamois leather to gently w ipe the ex-
terior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls , door si lls and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing you r
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sha rp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
c;, page 203.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a d ry cloth or sponge, s in ce this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win -
-
dows. .,.

208 Clea ning and protec tio n
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward d i­
rection - pushing the scraper away from
you - never back and forth .
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
• Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid -free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
• Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive. If left o n for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i deale r. Neve r leave the cleaner on
the r ims longer than spec ified on the label.
If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid contained in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts .
Never use ab ras ive or metal polishing clean ­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible .
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 189, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
-
-Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 203.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cav it ies which could be affected by
cor rosion have been thorough ly protected at
the factory.
T his sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax shou ld seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age dra ins.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc­
tions on the container .
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 203.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
-Too much undercoating in the wrong p la-
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
r u stproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con-
verter or heat shields. While driving, the
~

substance use d for u ndercoating cou ld
overheat an d cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 203.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road sa lt and other corros ive materials will
damage the mater ial in the exhaust tail p ipes
if they are not cleaned regu larly . Do not clean
the ta il p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint polish,
chrome polish or othe r abrasive cleaners .
C lean the tail p ipes with ca r ca re products
that are s uita ble for stain less stee l.
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­ i ng p rod ucts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r your vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* disp lay may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated light ly
when the clean ing solution when cleani ng the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so that dirt does not enter the
un it o r enter between the buttons and the
h ousing. Then w iping the controls with a clot h
dampened wi th d ish dete rgent and water is
recommended.
(D Note
To preve nt sc ratches, only clean the dis­
p lay when it is d ry.
- To p reven t damage, ma ke s ure fluids do
not enter the cont rols.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH produc ts to remove spots
and depos its from alum in um s urfaces.
C hr ome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum in um s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
Cleaning and protec tion 209
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 203.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabr ics and fabric cover ings (e.g. seats, door
trim pa ne ls, etc.) shou ld be cleaned at regular
i n tervals w it h a vac uum cleaner. This removes
s ur face di rt particles which cou ld become em­
bedded in the fabri c throug h use. Ste am
cleaners sho uld not be used, beca use the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there .
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint -free microfibe r clo th to the clean fab­
ric. Br ushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by br ushes.
Norma l su rface s tains c an be cleaned using a
commerc ially availab le foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of t he fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. T hen pat the foam dry us ing
absorbe nt, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fr uit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent sol ution
with a spo nge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rem aining de terge nt. Apply the
w at er wit h a d am p clot h or sponge a nd pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
de terge nt pa ste (e.g. o x-gall soa p) rubbed i n­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap wi th
wa ter (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il , lipstic k or a ballpoin t pen. M elted ..,_ •
•

214 Cleaning and protec tio n
- Before reaching into the front pane l, al­
ways switch off the ignition. Otherwise,
the windshield wiper system could un in­
tent ionally be switched on, possib ly
causing personal injury from the moving
wiper linkage .
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ignit ion is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or d ry the engine w ith
the engine running. Moving or ho t pa rts
cou ld inju re you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders , wheel cove rs, or other hard
to reach parts w ithout protecting your
hands and arms . You may cut yourse lf on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
c::> page 203 .

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . T ires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on eac h tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, you r vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspec ting t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
Avoiding damage If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 235
New tires
New tir es have to be broken in ¢ & .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat io n or the
vehicle p ulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the s idewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 264.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, c ras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
spee ds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

236 Tires and wheels
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory -installed equip ­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped o r reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted. -
If you notice unusual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to operate at h igher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
terfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maxi­
mum permissib le inflation pressure for that
tire.

Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 237
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 236, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL ", "x l", "E XTRA LOAD",
o r "R F" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 247 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 251.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
•
•

238 Tires and wheels
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire that comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the ti re
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the pr inc ipal
grooves designed to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wea r of the tread . See
~ page 245, Tread W ear Indicator (T WI) for
mo re info rmat io n on measu ring ti re wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admi nistration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs make relat ive compa risons among
tires. The UTQG is not a safety rating an d no t a
g ua ran tee t hat a tir e will las t fo r a presc ribed
nu mber of m iles (kilome ters) or perform in a
certain way. It s imply gives tire buye rs addi ­
tional informat ion to com bine with ot her con­
side rat ions, s uch as pr ice, brand loya lty and
dea ler recommendations. Under UTQG, t ires
are g raded by t he tire manufacturers in th ree
areas: treadwear, tract io n, and temperature
res ista nce. Th e UTQG i nfo rmation on the tires ,
mo lded into t he s idewalls.
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the t ire 's "serial number" It beg ins
with the lette rs "DOT" and indicates that the t
ir e mee ts a ll fede ra l standards. The nex t two
numbe rs o r letters in dicate the plant where it
was man ufactu red, and the last four numbers
represent the wee k and year of man ufact ure.
For example,
DOT . .. 2212 ...
me ans th at the tire w as produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2012 . T he o the r num bers are m arket­
ing co des that may or may not be used by the
t ir e manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consume rs if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the ra ted ca rgo an d luggage lo ad plus
150 lbs. ( 68 kilo gr ams) times the vehicle's to ­
ta l seating ca pacity as listed on the la bel lo ­
cated on the driver's side B-pilla r.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
me ans tha t load on an individu al tire tha t is
de termined by dis tributi ng to eac h axl e its
share of the maxim um loa ded vehicle weight
and dividing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means th at l oad o n an individua l tire tha t is
de termined by dis trib uti ng to eac h axle its
share o f the cur b weight , accessory weight,
and normal occ upant weig ht (distr ibuted in
accordance with tab le be low ~
page 238)
and dividing by two.
Occupant loading and distribution for veh icle normal lo ad fo r variou s designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants
4
5
Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants _____ malty loaded vehicle
2 2 in front
3 2 in front, 1 i n bac k seat